Exchange Rates

FlJl.—Through Bank of NSW, ANZ Bank, Bank of NZ, Bank of Baroda. Sterling dollar on Fiji dollar, buying £1 = $F2.11; selling $2,085. Aust. dollar on Fiji dollar, buying $A1.0117 = SFI; selling $A1.0288 = SFI.

WESTERN SAMOA.—Through Bank of Western Samoa, controlled from NZ, seller SAI to SWS Tala 1.2470.

Norfolk Is., Papua-New Guinea. Aus

rralian currency used: no exchange payable in transactions with Australia.

FRENCH PACIFIC COLONIES.—Pacific francs (CFP) are used in New Caledonia, New Hebrides (jointly with Australian dollars), Wallis and Futuna Islands and Fr. Polynesia. French Bank, Sydney, on Nov. 24, quoted: Selling, Noumea and Papeete, 109 Pac. francs to $ Aust.; approx. 100 Pac. francs to US $; Noumea 18 Pac. francs to 1 French franc (conversion rate: 1 Pac. franc equals 0.055 French franc). Paris- London: Buying 13.19 francs to £. Also, £ equals 240.04 Pac. francs.

to the open market. Recent prices were: Ist grade, $130; 2nd grade, $126; 3rd grade, $ll6 per ton, BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).

GILBERT AND ELLICE:—Board pays growers $78.40 per ton and receives $143.05 per ton overseas; 2nd grade price 3£c per lb.

NEW HEBRIDES: Copra sold direct by planters to France and Japan. Official market price on Oct. 27 was $BO (8:000 Pac. francs), Marseilles, 1,150 i francs, Oct. 16.

COOK IS.: —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operates NZ's copra crushing mill. Prices for October 1 to December 31 were fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at $NZ173.38 Ist grade, hot air dried; $NZ171.30 Ist grade, sun dried, and $NZ169.73 standard grade.

US TRUST TERRITORY:—Board pays $U5112.50 per ton, grade 1; $lOO per ton, outer islands.

Other Produce

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, quote F3sc (4 in. to 7 in.) to F4oc (9 in. to 11 in.) lb depending on quality.

Honiara.—Live slugs, over six inches, black six for 10c, other colours —12 for 10c.

CHILLIES. —Solomons, Honiara, Tabasco, grade one, dried 22c per lb; long red, grade one, dried, 12c per lb.

COCOA. —Islands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on Nov. 24 (Nov./Jan. shipment) was £2BB/15/- per 50 kilos, c.i.f., UK Continent Spot.

Nov. 24, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $520 per ton, delivered ex wharf Sydney $5BO. Quote No. 2: Best quality ex-wharf Sydney $575, in store NG ports $520 (Jan./Mar.) (for immediate UK, Continent and USA shipments).

Forward prices: Apr./June, $525 (in store, NG ports).

W. Samoa. —Nominal quotation for Nov. 12 was Ist grade, £Stg.27o; 2nd grade, £Stg.2so, f.o.b. per ton.

New Hebrides.—beach, Vila, Santo, $3OO per ton.

Solomons.—4 cents a lb delivered to a fermentary, 3 cents a lb at buying points.

COFFEE.—P-NG: Nov. 24, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 48£c per lb; B grade 46c; C grade 44c; X grade 46c and native X grade 44|c (ex-store Sydney).

W. Samoa. —Mid-Sept. W. STEC ground and dried beans, 49 sene per lb (wholesale).

CROCODILE SKINS. Recent Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and over, Ist grade quality as follows: P-NG—s3.os per in,, f.o.b. main ports, small scale (salt water); large scale (fresh water) $2.10 per in. 8.5.1., Honiara: $l.BO to $2.20 per in.; Gizo: $2.10 per in.

Green Snail Shell. $350-$4Oo A Ton,

f.o.b. i*}| PAPUAN GUM; Graded gum $195 per ton, f.0.b., NG ports.

PASSIONFRUIT.—Cook Islands, Islands Foods Ltd. pays growers NZ2.5c per lb for good fruit.

PEANUTS. P-NG: Sydney agents reported recently f.0.b., Lae; Kernels —white Spanish 17.25 c lb.

PEARL SHELL.—Torres Strait Pearlshellers' Assn, recently quoted these prices for MOP; AA grade, $A1,260 per ton; A, $1,460; B, $2,060; C, $2,100; 0, $1,260; E, $910; EE, $635 and EEE, $375. f.0.b., Thurs. Is.

Solomons.—Honiara, mother of pearl blacklip 15c lb, goldlip 20c lb. Cook Islands.—Manihiki,

40c-46s per lb: delivered Rarotonga, 50c-56c per lb. French Polynesia.—Tuamotu, Gambler shells, to $l,OOO per ton, Papeete.

PYRETHRUM.—NG growers 17c lb, flowers.

RICE (Aust.): Prices, until Mar. 31, 1971, are—P-NG: Dried brown rice, $132 per ton, f.o.w. Sydney. Vitamin-enriched white rice, $146.50 per ton. Other Pacific Islands: Polished white (56 lb bags) or dried brown rice (112 lb bags), $156 per ton, f.o.w.

RUBBER.—P-NG price is based on Singapore rates which on Nov. 19 were: No. 1 RSS prompt nominal shipment (Malayan cents per lb) b 52hc, s 53c; Dec. b 53£c, s 532 c; Jan. b 54£c, s 542 c.

SANDALWOOD.—New Hebrides, landed on the beach, Vila and Santo, $250 a ton.

SHARK FINS; Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, offers 55c per lb for well-dried fins of commercial quality.

TROCHUS.—Nov. 23—Papua—$180-$! 90 per ton—Honiara—A $lBO to $2OO per ton, f.o.b. direct shipment—Nfr—slso-$l6O per ton.

TURTLE SHELL— BSI: First grade unmarked 60c to $1.50 a lb at Gizo.

VANILLA BEANS. Prices recently were; White and yellow label processed standard packs, $7.50; green label $7.40, c.i.f., Sydney.

Tonga.—sl4.2o, f.0.b., Nukualofa; $14.50, Mel bourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

COPRA: LONDON, Nov. 20, Philippines, in bulk, SUS23S per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth.

European ports; US Pacific coast SUSI9S, buyer, SUSI 97, seller.

Coconut Oil; London, Nov., £Stg.L66.

RUBBER: LONDON, Nov. 19, No. 1 RSS, Spot (per lb) b 182 d, s 18id; Dec., b 19R s I9id; Feb., b 20d, s 20-3/16d.